Former Bookable Holidays director Johnny Pollard has been told he could face prison after he pleaded guilty to fraud at Newbury Magistrates Court today.
Pollard was charged earlier this month with one count of fraud to the value of nearly £6,000 by abuse of position.
Pollard joined Bookable Holidays in June 2011 having left the Manchester-based online travel agency On The Beach where he was commercial director.
However, he parted company with the Aldermaston-based firm soon afterwards in August.
Magistrates heard that customers Paul and Lisa Shaw gave Pollard £2,400 to book their holiday, which they paid into his account. However, instead of passing it on to Bookable Holidays, Pollard kept the cash.
Pollard was said to have defrauded a total of £5,591.59 after he kept the money from two other holiday bookings. After he was confronted by Bookable director Jason Dwyer, Pollard did agree to pay back the sum.
Chairman of magistrates Linda Gent said that the bench would delay Pollard’s sentencing until a report had been completed by the probation service.
But she told the 39-year-old he could face jail or a sentencing hearing at crown court. “You could be given a custodial sentence of up to 26 weeks or we could leave it open to crown court for sentence,” she said.
Pollard was granted unconditional bail and told to return to the court for a hearing on December 15.
Speaking to Travel Weekly after the hearing, Dwyer said: “It’s a shame it had to come to this. All I ask for is hard work, respect and loyalty and if I don’t get that I won’t stand for it.
“I found a rogue booking with no in-house booking form so I went hunting for it, and all the signs pointed to Johnny. I asked him three times and he finally acknowledged that it was him. Then I discovered two more bookings.
“I’m glad he’s pleaded guilty, it was the sensible thing to do.”
As well as enjoying a high profile in the industry, Pollard sat on Abta’s membership committee.